Posted on: July 1, 2010 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Q:What’s your story? How’d you fall into music?

I had my first piano lessons when I was 8 years old, and started to teach myself guitar with 14. About that time, I wrote my first songs and had my first band experiences. Since then, things developed wonderfully: Some small gigs, the first CD recorded in a small private studio in 1998 – and since the beginning of this decade, the progress in recording technology was huge, so that shortly after the first CD, I started my own little studio, which grew over the years.

Over time, I had the chance and honor to play together with many excellent musicians – see the ”eloah-art society” on the eloah homepage – thus you can always find something new on each album, both in style and musicianship.

Q:Who are you listening to right now?

Dimitri Shostakovich, symphonies and chello concerts – Herman van Veen, his latest Dutch album “Nederlanders” – and the latest Jon Oliva’s Pain albums.

Q:What things – music, art, or other cultural factors – do you think will be big in the next year?

I think that digital distribution will become bigger in at least two ways: Music will be available in better quality and in new, faster ways next to, e.g., downloads, podcasts and streaming.

Q:What are you looking to accomplish when you create music, and how does the music relate to the artistic side of things?

For me, music is self expression and cooperation. I enjoy writing songs, playing songs, arranging and recording – and especially experiencing how a song develops under the influence of the other musicians.

Q:What differences in terms of lifestyle, music, or anything have you been able to notice between the Netherlands and the United States?

Well, I have only been living here for two years – I am Austrian. There are certainly (music related) cultural differences between the States and Europe – it’s obvious that American music is much more popular in Europe than the other way round.

Q:Are drugs/alcohol/recreational drugs good or bad for the creative process or is are the presence of those things just something based out of real life?

I think creativity is something within you, and the factors influencing it are certainly highly individual, thus it is difficult to give a general answer here. But, in my opinion, drugs or alcohol cannot create a creative process if there isn’t a natural one.

Q:How have you gotten more of your fans – Myspace or traditional word of mouth? Have you noticed anything different between these types of fans?

Traditional – word of mouth and gigs. It’s hard to tell a difference since all fans I met knew us from gigs or word of mouth.

Q:Who else in the music scene have you met and who is out there right now that you would like to collaborate with?

Well, I would really love to do something with Herman van Veen – whom I  met – he is genius and has been an inspiration for me for many years.

Q:How should people find your music? Are there any other releases coming out that they should look into buying?

Just google “eloah music” or go directly to eloah.at. The CDs can be purchased via CD baby; friends of digital distribution will find eloah on most of the major DD sites. At the moment, I am working with a many new musicians on a bunch of new songs – I hope that sometime 2011, a new eloah album will be released.

Q:What else should we know ?

It has become a fashion today for musicians to point out that you do not make music for money, but for – well, here the big bands differ – the fans, the art, whatever. It is easy to say that when you are a well known artist and sell hundredths of thousands of CDs. After a history of 14 years where I certainly spent more in this great passion than I might ever earn with it, I think it is safe to say that money never was or will be my driving force. We are all in the happy position of living good lives with good jobs we like. But we won’t make music just to fulfill the wishes of anybody either. We like to express ourselves through music. The way we conceive our feelings and dreams. You are welcome to join.

Leave a Comment